Languedoc-Roussillon — ‘The New Provence’


My quest for Languedoc wines actually started 9 years ago when I decided to spend my Junior Year Abroad at the Facultè de Lettres in Montpellier. While living there I had the amazing good fortune to meet the Poirier family. Christine — the mother — is an English teacher who specializes in technical vocabulary such as wine terminology (cold-soaking is not in your basic pocket Larousse), while Thierry — the father of the family — whose roots are in Champagne and Burgundy, owns vineyards in Pommard and Puligny-Montrachet (hopefully his own wines will be in our next catalogue,) and works in the Languedoc-Roussillon region as a nègociant. (Their three children Alexandre, Cècile and Gregorie are also a delight.)


And yes, ever since Dee Vine Wines started in a dingy office with no heat or A/C I have been dreaming of returning to Montpellier to search out some extraordinary wines for you all. Happily, last summer I did it! These three producers are just the tip of the iceberg in the “New Provence”, as some are now referring to it. Being back in Montpellier after so many years in San Francisco brought back many memories — the lavender, thyme, and rosemary we used to pick in the fields, the sun-bleached houses with light pink tilled roofs, the beautiful mountains the color of dried sage, and sometimes a hint of the sea when a warm Southern breeze picks up off the Mediterranean.


The Languedoc region has a unique wine history — it was one of the few regions not hit by the Phylloxera epidemic in the 19th century, however it did concentrate its energy on quantity rather than quality in order to satisfy the demand for easy drinking wine throughout France’s working class. Over the last twenty years the quality of Languedoc wines has greatly improved as more “boutique” wineries are emerging in the area as well as the younger generation taking the reins of the family domaine. Here’s one selection from our upcoming catalogue:


Domaine de Comps — Saint Chinian


Domaine de Comps was the first stop on my whirlwind tour of the Languedoc wine country. This domaine, a former distillery has been passed down from generation to generation as one can tell by looking around the estate — a wooden press from the 19th Century is still used during crush! Most of their sloped vineyards are terraced and all of the grapes are harvested by hand, macerated for about 25 days in a traditional cuverie, aged in oak casks for one year, then transferred to Bordelais barrels for an additional one to one-and-a-half years.


The traditional blend for this producer is 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache. Martin Comps has been the leading force behind the domaine for many years and Jean-Christophe, his grandson, has recently taken over and the ensuing results are extraordinary. Being my first domaine visited, this was definitely one of my most memorable stops during my stay in Montpellier. It is like stepping back to another time, when everything was made the artisan way including the fortified wine made by placing large, round glass jugs on the roof of the domaine to “cook” in the hot summer sun.


As always, our staff will always help you find just the wine that you are looking for, so feel free to call and have them help you with your choices.